Barefoot SOS

We speak with Lindsay Dancaster, Senior Sales & Marketing Manager at Barefoot SOS, to find out more about their award-winning vegan beauty products and how they stay ahead of the market. As statistics show, natural beauty is becoming increasingly popular.

Can you introduce to us Barefoot SOS – and what makes your brand special?

It’s all to do with our botanical blend. Our blend is packed full of the highest quality active botanical extracts, natural moisturisers and pure essential oils that have been skilfully combined to deeply moisturise and soothe dry and sensitive skin, including those prone to eczema and psoriasis.

Stellaria (Chickweed), Purslane Bioferment and Burdock Extract, expertly blended with other natural moisturisers and nourishing oils, such as Macadamia, Evening Primrose and Jojoba, deliver comfort, hydration and protection to dry and problem skin. What’s more, this complex actively works with the skin’s barrier to naturally heal from within, ensuring skin is protected as well as treated.

Dehydrated, dry, sensitive, irritated and uncomfortable skin is a growing concern. People are recognising that the use of synthetic ingredients can make skin issues worse in the long term and are seeking natural alternatives. Multi-award-winning Barefoot SOS is clinically proven to be gentle and safe to use on all ages, providing effect natural skincare solutions for all the family.

Where did your brand name come from – and how did you go about choosing the logo?

The name was inspired by a Chinese tradition of doctors who travelled from village to village barefooted, dispensing natural remedies and medicines. Developed by natural healthcare experts, the range was specifically formulated to bring together the science of skincare with the natural power of botanical extracts.

The logo demonstrates how the unique blend of ingredients in the products is designed to target dry and sensitive skin issues by treating the area with intense droplets of moisturisation.

The name was inspired by a Chinese tradition of doctors who travelled from village to village barefooted, dispensing natural remedies and medicines.

How difficult is it to produce vegan beauty products that are free from paraffin, parabens, SLS, artificial colours and fragrances?

Formulating high performance natural products with the constraints of being suitable for vegans and free-from is a challenge, but not impossible. Our technical product development experts have an in-depth knowledge of the most suitable ingredients and how to combine these to make sure we have the most efficacious formulations in the market.

How do you source the ingredients that you use in your products?

We use our technical expertise and knowledge of ingredient chemistry, combined with years of building relationships with selected partners, to ensure we source only the highest quality and most effective botanicals, oils and essential oils with powerful therapeutic benefits. Our products are free from paraffin, parabens, SLS, as well as artificial colours and fragrances, and they’re suitable for vegans! We formulate our products to be as gentle as possible, ensuring they are suitable for all ages.

Research in Mintel’s 2025 Trends report highlighted that some 42% of UK consumers now prefer to buy natural personal care products because they believe they are better for the environment.

How do you see the natural beauty market expanding over coming years and what strategy do you have in place to ensure your brand stands out from the crowds?

The last few years has seen a significant rise in the natural beauty market. This growth is primarily due to the modern consumer becoming more aware of the benefits of natural ingredients, which has fuelled the demand for natural skincare products. Consumers now, more than ever, want to know what goes into their skincare and beauty products. Research in Mintel’s 2025 Trends report highlighted that some 42% of UK consumers now prefer to buy natural personal care products because they believe they are better for the environment. What’s more, demand for natural skincare products isn’t gender specific; 50% of UK men now believe that facial skincare products with natural ingredients are better for their skin.

People are becoming much more aware of what they put on their skin and the industry is becoming more competitive. We’re moving into an exciting age where brands need to be up front and honest about what they put into their products, and how they manufacture and test them. It’s also getting more competitive as new brands enter this market.

We constantly monitor the marketplace for both competitor products and new ingredients to ensure we stay ahead of the trends and competition. We also have an extensive NPD (new product development) programme to develop our product offer with intelligent and targeted solutions for extremely dry, sensitive and atopic skin that is suitable for the whole family.